Monica
Monica is an American R&B recording artist who rose to fame back in 1998. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica has solidified herself as a ghetto, "I KEEPS it real and will swipe my GreenDot Card." personality. In recent years, Monica reinvented herself by sporting gold remy while maintaining a personality reminiscent of a customer service representative: hood, sassy, and mildly professional. The result of these changes allowed her to achieve gold selling status for a couple of her albums and maintain a fanbase consisting of your mother's generation, her friends, and black homosexuals who drive Kias. __TOC__ Comeback Monica's major comeback arrived during the summer of 2003, overshadowed by Beyonce's debut effort and Alicia Keys' "Diary of Alesbian Keys." Monica, now witness to maturity and upscale dinners in Decatur, Georgia, presented her fanbase a new sound, with production from Missy Elliot. After bottoming for Missy, Monica was able to project a more diginified chickenhead. However, while older, many realized Monica's musical growth remained stagnant. Singing and celebrating being a down ass bitch and gunning a sneaky as ho appeals to the inner teenage hoodrat in all of us but only takes you so far. Her singles were warmly received and allowed her to continue landing number one videos on 106th and Park. It would be nearly seven years before After the Storm had been certified platinum. Analysis Monica's brilliance comes in small measures. It was not until I reviewed her discography that I realized that the content of Monica's music never deviates from these three messages: 1. I'm in love with this nigga. I'll pay his rent and suck his dick so good he puts his legs behind his neck. 2. This weak ass nigga cheated on me, so now it's time key his car--spelling out my name--and throw Forever 21 shoes at his window to wake him and his girl up. 3. I got money. I haven't changed. My gas tank is a quarter full but best believe I will make it to the club before eleven. It's free. Examples: 1. Everything to Me, For You I Will, U Should've Known Better, A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me), Love All Over Me 2. So Gone, Sideline Ho, Until It's Gone 3. Everytime the Beat Drop, Too Hood, So Gone, Sideline Ho Though Monica has maintained her R&B sound (and dipped into Hip-Hop), her future success is contingent upon being a versatile artist, bottom, and songwriter. While her relevance and popularity is concentrated in small book discussion groups and low-income communities, Monica can still achieve her gold-selling status with future album releases. Even though Monica cannot sell-out a mid-sized stadium, she can attract large crowds at high school homecoming games and black gay venues. Commercial sales wise, Monica can be described as the female counterpart to Trey Songz: You can't distinguish which albums her most recent work are from; furthermore, she'll never see a platinum plaque or sold-out solo tour given her limited audience appeal. Awards and Achievements Grammys: 1, back in 1998 BET Centric Award: 1 Spokeswoman for the BabyPhat Rush Card Billboard Music Awards: 5, back in 1998 Soul Train Music Awards: 9 Nominations Model for "She" by Shereé Clean Driving Record in Comparison to Frienemy Brandy Norwood Two triple platinum albums back in the mid-to-late-1990's Appearance on the "Just For Me Kids!" perm box, back in 1998